Spreadsheet Models for Managers

Getting Access to Spreadsheet Models for Managers

If you use Excel to model businesses, business processes, or
business transactions, this course will change your life. You’ll learn how to create tools for yourself that will amaze
even you. Unrestricted use of this material is available in two ways.

As a stand-alone Web site

It resides on your computer, and you can use it anywhere. No need for Internet access.

At this Web site

If you have access to the Internet whenever you want to view this material, you can purchase on-line access.
Unlimited usage. I’m constantly making improvements and you’ll get them as soon as they’re available.

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If it weren’t for graphics, business modeling — and understanding business models — would
be far more difficult than it is. Graphics includes everything that makes up a model except for
the actual text, formulas and numbers. It includes formatting, layout, color, font choice — in
short, everything we do to make our documents easy to use and pleasing to the eye.

Effective graphics are difficult to construct, because so many different skills and
capabilities are needed. We need to understand the business content, of course, but more than
that, we also need to understand the basics of elegant design. And most important, we need to
understand how the human perceptual system works. And that requires some of the fundamental
knowledge of the field of psychology.

People who can regularly produce excellent graphical designs are rare. They are important
members of the spreadsheet modeling team.

The purpose of charts is visual communication. Sadly, many charts that contain important
information don’t communicate that information very well. Communicating visually in an
effective manner is probably an art, but it’s an art we can learn.

One way to learn is by bad examples — actually studying examples of bad technique.
Fortunately, bad examples are easy to find. Finding good
examples is more difficult, but there are several excellent references in the class notes. Enjoy!